Japan’s historical anti-nuclear protest on July 29th, 2012, a photo essay

July 29th Anti-nuke demo in Tokyo, departure around 4:50 pm     Passing TEPCO headquarters TEPCO behind Stopping at each traffic lights Between TEPCO and METI (Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry) Between TEPCO and METI Marching towards METI "Mister Tomita" directing traffic before the angry turn towards METI Long stop in front of METI (Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry) Man shouting at METI building: "you betrayed us!" man showing his finger... Read More

Japanese Government Literally Surrounded By Anti-Nuclear Protestors

Over 20,000 people marched on Japan’s parliament today, July 29th (Sunday/Japan time) to demand a ban on nuclear power. The demonstration concluded with a candle-lit human chain surrounding the Diet like it was Fort Apache. Japan’s anti-nuclear protests are heating up like the Japanese summer, which reached 32 degrees Celsius today. Even the heat wasn’t enough to discourage today’s participants. It was the largest protest yet. Japanese anti nuclear power protesters... Read More

New Anti-Yakuza Laws Pass; Instant Arrests Now Possible (Fast As Ramen?)

On July 26th 2012, the National Diet approved the revisions of the Organized Crime Group Countermeasures Law (改正暴力団対策法). Under the new laws, the police can specially designate organized crime groups as “extremely dangerous” and then may arrest any member of that group, without issuing a cease and desist order, if he (or she), makes unreasonable or illegal demands towards ordinary citizens. The new law also allows the Prefectural Centers for The Elimination... Read More

Sexnomics: Japan’s 100 Billion Dollar Sex Industry And The Pink Zone

UPDATED: Japan’s semi-legal sex industry exists on a mind-boggling scale, yet there are very few books or articles which even give a rudimentary idea of how big a role it plays in the national economy. Japan has laws which forbid prostitution but set no punishment for the prostitute or the customer. Selling uncensored pornography depicting sexual intercourse is a crime but paying for actual sexual intercourse at an established Soapland establishment is not. It’s not... Read More

Police woman sexually harassed by “transvestite” cop and co-workers. Kanagawa PD uphold lousy rep.

Japanese media and other sources reported on July 27th, that the Kanagawa Police Department will discipline four police officers in their thirties for sexually harassing a junior female police officer. According to reports, in March of this year, four police officers went drinking with the victim at a Karaoke bar in Kanagawa’s Yamato City. A traffic cop suddenly kissed the woman, and one of the white collar crimes detectives ordered her to take off her clothes and and change... Read More

Japan’s “Nuclear Mafia” Pursuing Lawsuit to Muzzle Investigative Journalist

Tokyo – July 10th, 2012 Japan’s so-called “nuclear mafia”, the consortium of industry, bureaucracy, politicians and anti-social forces  appears to have put out a “hit” on free-lance journalist, Minoru Tanaka. But the attack is not going unnoticed by the Japanese Press or the international community. Minoru Tanaka  (52) is a freelance journalist and expert in the dark side of Japanese politics, who exposed the ties between Shiro Shirakawa, currently... Read More

Crime and Punishment in Japan

Richard Lloyd Parry formerly the Tokyo correspondent of The Independent and now the bureau chief for The Times, has written the definitive book on the tragic murder of Lucie Blackman, People Who Eat Darkness, which was recently released in the US to rave reviews. He will speaking tonight at Good Day Books at 6:30 pm in Tokyo,  on the book if you have time to go. On May 10th, 2012 Richard Parry and Jake Adelstein, author of Tokyo Vice,  spoke at The Economist Corporate Network... Read More